Baby Genius
by Radiday
Summary: What if Cat Adams wasn't bluffing?


Derek Morgan meets Jane Reid for the first time when she is four months old. She's got a full head of curly, caramel colored hair with eyes to match. When he sees her first, she's laying on her stomach, limbs flailing on a blanket with the periodic table stitched on it. He walks into Garcia's office and sees her sitting cross-legged on the blanket across from the baby, cooing and waving the baby's stuffed animals around her.

It takes him less than a minute to figure out whose child Jane is, and it seems that Garcia echoes his shock when she turns to see him standing there. The baby senses the tension in the room and erupts into sobs, so Garcia stands and scoops her up, bouncing her in her arms.

The sobs are loud enough to send the baby's father racing into the room, so quickly that he doesn't even realize that Derek is standing there.

Jane sees her father and reaches her small, chubby arms for him, and Reid takes her and continues the bouncing motions, rhythmically shushing her until he sees Garcia making eyes at him from across the room.

He turns to see Derek, who still looks like he's seen a ghost. Reid smiles weakly and opens his mouth to say something, but Garcia starts before he gets a chance to make a fool of himself.

"Chocolate thunder, meet Jane Diana Reid. She was born on November 14th and she is just the most perfect baby genius that the world has ever seen," Garcia finishes, waving Jane's teddy bear around the baby to make her stop crying and start laughing.

Jane proves her genius, as she points at Derek and reaches for him. Reid is surprised, Jane's not usually one for strangers.

It takes him a minute before he realizes that he's just referred to Derek Morgan as a stranger.

Derek hesitates and looks to Reid for permission, taking the baby after Reid smiles and nods.

"Hey there, pretty lady," he coos. Jane reaches her hands up to Derek's face, curious about the new person holding her. "Hi, baby. You are just the most beautiful little girl I've even seen. Yeah. Are you gonna be smart like your daddy?"

Jane squeals with joy in response, and Derek hugs her just a little bit tighter.

"Give me my munchkin puff," Garcia interrupts. "We're gonna go see Grandpa Dave. Maybe he'll buy us a pony if we ask nicely," she looks at Jane, who giggles sweetly. "On second thought, I'll ask, you just look cute, okay? He'll be putty in our hands."

She take's the baby from Derek's arms before turning her attention to the two men. "I don't know what's going on between you two, but you're not leaving this room until you fix it." With that, she swings Jane's diaper bag around her free shoulder and shuts the door behind her.

Neither start to panic until they hear the click of the door locking from the outside.

Reid shoves his hands in his pockets and looks away, absently picking up Jane's teddy bear that Garcia had left behind and playing with the frayed ribbon around its neck.

"I…"

"I'm…"

They both start at the same time, causing Reid to turn and face Derek fully for the first time. "Sorry, go ahead," Reid nods.

"I'm sorry I wasn't there for you, man. I'm sorry I wasn't there helping you get out."

"It's not you're fault," the younger man shakes his head, hands still in his pockets.

Morgan sits on Garcia's couch and rests his elbows on his knees.

"I wasn't there when you needed me," he breathes.

"Morgan…"

"No, Reid, just hear me out, please? I'm sorry that I didn't help you the way a brother should. I'm sorry that I came that night you got out and said some shit about how it'd get better and then just left. I'm sorry that I left you messages and tried to use Hank to guilt trip you into calling me back."

Reid sat down in Garcia's unoccupied chair, mimicking Derek's position.

"And I am so, so sorry that we somehow got so far apart that you couldn't tell me you had a baby."

"It's not like that," Reid whispered, staring at his shoes.

"Then tell me, man, what is it like?" His tone wasn't harsh. In fact, it was just the opposite. Derek spoke quietly, with a gentleness Reid had never heard before.

"I was angry at her, at first," Reid whispers, still looking at his shoes.

"Angry at who, Reid?"

"Jane. I didn't love her. Not for a while. I was angry at her for being born, for giving me a reason to think about Cat Adams every time I looked at her."

Derek sat up. "What? Why would Jane make you think of that bitch?" Now his tone rose, his mind running through scenarios that could cause his best friend to say such a thing.

"Because that bitch is Jane's mother." He tries to speak up, but it's like he actually _can't._

The statement has such a force that it actually sends Derek to his feet. "What?!"

"I didn't know how to tell you. I didn't want you to think… Please," Reid looked up, "Don't be mad at the team. I asked them not to say anything."

"Reid, man, what is going on?"

The genius took a deep breath, sitting up in his seat. "When, uh, when I went to Mexico, you know, to get my mom's medicine, Lindsey Vaughn found me."

"I know, man, she drugged you. And killed the doctor."

"There's something I didn't tell you about that night. I didn't remember it. I still don't. Not really… After, um, after Lindsey killed Nadie Ramos, she, I guess she said that she was Maeve and I was so high that I believed her. She got me to… you know," he gestured downward, "and then collected it and took it back to Cat. And Cat used it to inseminate herself. And give birth to my child."

At some point, Derek found himself weak in the knees and all but collapsed back onto the couch. "Are you kidding?" he said, mouth still ajar, staring at Reid without even blinking.

Reid shook his head and went back to looking at his shoes. "I thought, JJ and I thought… she was there when Cat told me… We thought she was bluffing. We thought it was the guard's baby…"

"The guard that kept you out of protective custody?"

Reid nodded again. "But I did the DNA test. And as it turns out, the baby was undoubtedly mine. Cat's final way to get to me forever."

"Reid, man, I…" Derek didn't know where he was going. He didn't know what to say.

"It's not all bad though," Reid said, smiling slightly. "I love her. Jane, I mean. I didn't think I could, but I do. I named her after Jane Austen. She's a really good baby. She sleeps through the night most of the time. It's funny, you know, she really doesn't like people she's never met before… but she went right for you."

"She must have seen a picture or something and remembered it. She is your kid after all."

"Actually, I think it's because I talk about you."

"You talk about me?"

"Yeah, you know, studies show that it's better to talk to a baby like you would an adult. So when I'm home alone with her, I tell her about things. Stories my mom told me when I was little, the team, but I talk about you the most," Reid laughed inwardly. "Actually, just yesterday, there was a baseball game on TV, Jane likes the noise, and she was so into it. It's like she understood the game. I told her Uncle Derek would have to teach her because I have no idea how to play."

Derek perked up and flashed a million watt smile. "You're damn right Uncle Derek will."

"I'm sorry I didn't tell you. And I'm sorry I've been ignoring you. I guess I just didn't know what to say. For the longest time, I was barely holding myself together, and then Jane came along, and I honestly thought I was going to fall apart. I just couldn't take it. I was such a mess. I still am, a little. But then I thought about having to explain this shit show to you, and I just didn't know where to start."

"Look at me, Spencer. You have nothing to be sorry for. You did what you needed to do to _survive_. I will always be here for you, no matter what. You're my brother. I named my son after you. Who, by the way, is itching to meet his uncle."

"He's two, Derek."

"So? He wants to know you. He _needs_ to know you. Just like I need to know that little princess out there…" He paused before adding, " Man, I cannot believe you have a baby. The first girl, too."

Reid chuckled. "Garcia calls her the belle of the BAU."

"Oh, I believe it. I bet she's got everyone wrapped around her little finger, especially daddy," Derek smiled, nudging Reid playfully before getting serious again. "Reid, about what happened with Lindsey…"

Reid interrupted him, knowing where he was going. "I saw a therapist a while back, outside of the FBI, after I got out. I called her again and scheduled another appointment. I've sort of been ignoring that part for right now. I just don't have the energy to go through it. But I know I have to. For Jane."

"Good, good. Just promise me, Reid, _promise_ , that you'll go to that appointment, and as many more as it takes. I know what it's like, you know? You call me whenever you need me. _Any time_ , you got that? If Savannah finds out that you needed to talk and didn't call me, she'll have my head on a stick."

Reid nodded, before smiling slightly. "I always knew I liked her."

"You have no idea, man. She was more worried about you than I was, if it's possible. She wants you to come over and stay for a week or two, play with Hank, just relax. And just wait til I show her a picture of Jane. She is going to lose her mind. She might never let you leave." He looks around the office and laughs. "Now, how do we get Garcia to let us out of here?"


End file.
